Mr. Dumpling — Restaurant in Kadıköy

This review is from November 2023 so prices don't apply anymore! I went here twice when I was in Istanbul for a few weeks. Both times I went here for dinner and ordered their vegan manti or dumplings. A friend recommended me to try this place out.

I had mix plate/half of each of the momo vegan with roasted carrots and courgettes, and roasted onions with green lentils, wth vegan yoghurt. The second time I had a mix plate/half of each of the momo vegan with onions and spinach, and roasted potato and onion with vegan yoghurt. It also came with a bit of chilli oil drizzled over the yoghurt. They also have some gluten-free manti. Portion size was quite good.

I didn't like the vegan yoghurt at all! It was too clumpy, thick and didn't have taste rather than the taste dairy-based yoghurt should provide. It lacked the tangy, sour, fermented taste. Thankfully, the restaurant had condiments to leverage the dish. They had three types of olive oil: garlic, pesto, and chilli. Condiments included sumac, biber/chilli powder, and oregano. Also my orders came with pickles.

I recommend having it steamed/boiled. I didn't like the manti fried as their dough as too thick to enjoy it fried.

They also serve a decent number of selection of vegan desserts, which was under a separate menu) which includes gluten-free.

Seating is indoors and outdoors, with the latter for smoking. Both spaces have enough seating. Service charge is added in the bill. Service...

⭐☆☆☆☆

The food here was genuinely very good — no complaints at all in that department. However, I’m giving this place one star purely because of the attitude and behavior of the two waitresses who were serving that day.

Hospitality is just as important as the quality of food, and unfortunately, the service here was extremely disappointing. I came in with a friendly attitude, smiling and saying “thank you” multiple times — trying to be warm and appreciative. Sadly, that energy was not reciprocated at all.

One of the waitresses, an older woman, blatantly ignored me every single time I said thank you — not once, not twice, but four times. At first, I thought maybe she didn’t understand English, so I even said thank you in Turkish to make sure there was no language barrier. Still, she ignored me completely, without even a glance or a smile.

The other waitress wasn’t much different. Both of them seemed to carry an unnecessary attitude — cold, unwelcoming, and indifferent. It felt like they were doing me a favor by just doing their job, which ruined the entire dining experience.

Dear owner: if you’re reading this, I strongly urge you to train your staff on basic customer service. A simple smile, acknowledgment, or polite gesture makes a world of difference. You may have great food, but if your staff behaves like this, customers will leave with a bitter taste — no matter how good the meal was.

Hospitality matters. Please...

That is a great place if you like dumplings or want to start liking them! They have great menu options for all - mixed dumplings dish should probably be a first choice, and you can decide on your favourite kind (fried momos were excellent!). Some positions might be unavailable (no buuzes on the day of our visit), but the waitress was also very kind and quick with nice alternatives upon seeing my confusion with all the multiple attractive choices. As we all went for some options more unusual for us, can't judge pelmenis, maybe some other time.

Probably a bit strange to comment on desserts in the dumplings place - tiramisu was a tiny bit too "liquid" and more like a yoghurt. Strawberry dessert was apparently much better, based on my small sister's opinion.

Service was fast and very friendly. There was some small confusion with tea for all of us, but the source of this confusion was...